Shah Rukh Khan: Hrithik, Come Home Now

By Subhash K Jha

It's the star-wives' club at work. Mrs Shah Rukh Khan and Mrs Hrithik Roshan have brought their two superstar-husbands together.

On Friday night when Shah Rukh Khan watched Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish with his close family and friends he was so moved by the film and Hrithik Roshan's performance that he yanked his younger colleague out of slumber and made him immediately drive down to his bungalow Mannat.

No one says no to King Khan. Dead tired and fighting off a viral attack Hrithik had no choice but to drive down to Mannat. Shah Rukh and Hrithik discussed Guzaarish and Hrithik's performance until 2 am.

Says a source, "Shah Rukh had asked for a print of Guzaarish because he's very fond of Hrithik. Also because Shah Rukh had played a physically challenged character in My Name Is Khan. He was curious to see how Hrithik had approached the character of a physically disabled hero.

What started as profession inquisitiveness turned into a complete involvement with the on-screen goings-on. Shah Rukh felt Hrithik in Guzaarish out-excelled his own performance in My Name Is Khan. Shah Rukh also feels Guzaarish was way superior to what the director Sanjay Bhansali had achieved with Shah Rukh in Devdas. "

Half-way through the film Shah Rukh rang up Hrithik and asked him to come home immediately. The two are close friends and their wives are even closer.

Says Hrithik, "In fact Sussanne was already at Mannat. When Shah Rukh wanted me to go over I had no choice. He's always very generous. "

It is rare for a colleague to be so generous towards another colleague's stand-out performance, specially when he has given an equally riveting performance in the same genre during the same year.

Says a source, "Shah Rukh in My Name Is Khan and Hrithik in Guzaarish portraying two inspirational protagonists suffering from a crippling disability, will be the two top contenders for the best-actor nominations this year. By so generously acknowledging Hrithik's performance Shah Rukh has dissolved the competitive edge between two superstars."